Melanie Live At The Meltdown Festival 2007 (2009)

Some 13 years into his recording career, jazz pianist extraordinaire Bill Charlap's first live album is, perhaps, his most exquisite release to date. While virtually all of his studio albums more than adequately showcase Charlap's virtuosity, good taste, and ceaseless imagination at the keys, it took the spontaneity of the live performance - at New York's fabled Village Vanguard - to give the first true indication of just what Charlap is capable of creating on the fly. The pinpoint accuracy and sophistication of his solos, whether at breakneck speed or in a ballad setting, are a marvel. Charlap's concentration never strays, and although he feels no compunction to strut, he lets it be known with each passage that he's among the most gifted pianists in jazz today…

This interesting Italian formation invites us for a trip with their musical time-machine to the early Seventies. In those days most of the big record companies had small sub-labels in order to host their progressive rock acts (like EMI had Harvest for Pink Floyd), there they got room for adventure and experiments. Well, listening to Areknames you can easily confuse this for a Seventies rooted band. This live CD was recorded during the Burg Herzberg Festival 2007. Don't expect elaborate music but let you carry away by Areknames their compelling vintage sound, loaded with mindblowing work on the Hammond organ!

Martha Argerich's annual appearances at the Lugano Festival are highly sought after by her fans. Featuring the Argentinean pianist plus any number of her friends and protégés in a huge range of repertoire, the performances are as enjoyable as they are unusual and as thrilling as they are insightful. EMI began releasing three-disc sets containing a selection of the Lugano Festival's finest performances in 2002. In this set from the 2007 festival, Argerich is joined by such old friends as cellist Mischa Maisky and violinist Renaud Capuçon and by such recent protégés as pianists Nicholas Angelich and Gabriela Montero in works that range from Beethoven's Piano Trio No. 4 through Glinka's Grand Sextet to Lutoslawski's Variations on a Theme of Paganini.

What makes Live at the Roundhouse London, the Dresden Dolls' second foray into the world of live DVDs really stand out is the story behind it. In 2006, the owners of legendary London venue Roundhouse approached the duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione to be the first rock act to perform in the venue after a two-year period of restoration…